Nieman Lab: The Daily Digest

For the first time, two Pulitzer winners disclosed using AI in their reporting

Awarded investigative stories are increasingly relying on machine learning, whether covering Chicago police negligence or Israeli weapons in Gaza By Andrew Deck.

“We’re there to cover what’s happening”: How student journalists are covering campus protests

“We don’t come in when there’s something crazy happening and then leave when it’s over. This is just what we do all the time. And I really hope that makes people trust us more as a newspaper.” By Sophie Culpepper.
What We’re Reading
Los Angeles Times / Tina Vasquez
In Southeast L.A. County, working-class Latino students now have a pathway to becoming journalists →
“While the number of Latinos in the media industry has remained stagnant, growing just 1% between 2010 and 2019, the city of Downey has spent years quietly implementing journalism infrastructure that has the potential to change the face of local reporting and serve as a model for school districts nationwide.”
Boom Live / Archis Chowdhury
Islamophobic ads are flooding Meta’s platforms in the middle of India’s elections →
“…The gloves are off for political parties, as they pour in massive amounts of money on social media advertisements. Meanwhile, content portraying Islamophobic dog whistles and memes were found being shared on surrogate pages that targeted the opponents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”
Catholic News Agency / Jonah McKeown
Catholic radio stations are pushing back on new rules that require them to report staff race and gender demographics →
“A trio of Catholic radio networks has filed a petition against the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over new requirements that will soon mandate that all U.S. radio and television stations publish information about the race and gender of their employees.”
The Verge / Gaby Del Valle
Despite big tech lobbying, Maryland passes two internet privacy bills →
“One bill limits platforms’ ability to collect data, while the other bans design features that encourage children to spend more time online.”
Poynter / Rick Edmonds
Gannett fired an editor for talking to Poynter →
“Sarah Leach, an experienced editor overseeing 26 Gannett community papers in four states, was fired via video conference first thing the morning of Monday, April 29. She was accused, she said, of ‘sharing proprietary information with (a reporter for) a competing media company’…Leach published her own statement Thursday afternoon.”
The New York Times / Vivian Yee, Emma Bubola, and Liam Stack
Israel’s shutdown of Al Jazeera highlights long-running tensions →
“Al Jazeera, the influential Arab news network, says it will continue reporting and broadcasting from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. But its departure from Israel marks a new low in its long-strained history with a country that much of Al Jazeera’s audience in the Arab world and beyond sees as an aggressor and an occupier.”
Latin American Journalism Review / Katherine Pennacchio
A law to prevent harassment and violence against women in Paraguay is being used to criminalize journalists →
“In [Mabel Portillo’s] case, a legal complaint using this law came after she published about the alleged embezzlement of funds in the municipality of Yataity [in southern Paraguay], as reported by Última Hora. Mayor Gloria Duarte filed the complaint and was able to get a restraining order against the journalist.”
The Verge / Emilia David
The New York Times spent $1 million so far in its OpenAI lawsuit →
“In its first quarter 2024 financial results, the newspaper says costs for its copyright infringement lawsuit against the AI giants do not impact its operational performance.”
El Diario AR
Argentina’s government takes teleSUR off the air →
In Spanish: “Telesur stated that it will continue to build a ‘symphony of voices through its different channels and platforms, connecting people in the defense of the right to information as a pillar of freer and fairer societies.’”
Bloomberg / Aisha Counts
Reddit lays out a content policy while seeking more licensing deals →
“Chief Legal Officer Ben Lee said it was important to set out the guidelines, in part, because there was a perception that companies licensing Reddit’s data could do anything they wanted with the material.”
Current / Tyler Falk
House hearing on NPR bias brings criticism from Republicans, but praise for local stations →
“The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has “concerns about the direction in which NPR may be headed under past and present leadership,” the lawmakers wrote. The representatives also asked NPR to provide a breakdown of the registered political affiliation of its news staff over the last five years.”
PRINT Magazine / Steven Heller
How the best art directed magazine influenced a generation →
“With its innovative photography and spectacular layout, twen set a benchmark for editorial design and, it would seem, still inspires young designers, typographers, art directors and creative types of all kinds today.”
Bloomberg / Andreina Itriago Acosta
Venezuela’s government is targeting investigative reporters in a corruption probe →
“Public Prosecutor Tarek William Saab accused former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami, the most powerful target in the investigation, of hiring reporters to write damning stories about rivals…A PBS-Frontline documentary on Armando Info’s coverage of Saab is scheduled to be released next week.”
Reuters / Nate Raymond
Texas’ lawsuit claiming the United States helped censor conservative news can proceed →
“A federal judge has rejected the Biden administration’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit by Republican-led Texas and two conservative media companies accusing the U.S. Department of State of funding technologies used to counter disinformation online that they say censors right-leaning news outlets.”
Digiday / Catherine Wolf
Still images receive more attention than Reels on Instagram, new research finds →
“It can feel like social media is a bit obsessed with the short-form video format these days, but images actually perform better than short-form videos when it comes to sponsored posts featuring influencers on Instagram.”
The Washington Post / Herb Scribner
“The Office” spinoff will be set at a daily newspaper →
“The new untitled series, which starts production in June, will center on a newsroom whose publisher is trying to save it with ‘volunteer reporters,’ per the announcement.”